


Your Most Humble Servant.

by AlwaysInSonder



Category: Star vs. The Forces Of Evil
Genre: AU, Alternate Canon, F/M, I am absolute trash for them, MoonToffee - Freeform, Pre-Star Era, So sue me, mentor/student trope
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-04
Updated: 2018-01-19
Packaged: 2018-09-28 06:32:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,219
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10077569
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlwaysInSonder/pseuds/AlwaysInSonder
Summary: Magic had nothing to her touch.





	1. Chapter 1

Yet another tiresome day and yet another bothersome lesson to teach. Toffee folded his arms and leaned against the wall. He watched his charge huff about the chambers almost willing her wand to do as she commands. It would seem that no matter how many times he had chided the young royal for crass wand usage, she would not learn till she gets badly injured. It will only be a few more moments before another 'incident' would happen. Most likely when Glossaryck's irritable nature ruffles her petticoats.  
  
His eyes stared off to the distance as she and Glossaryck bickered. Their banter echoed around him and his thoughts. After several moments, his eyes firmly trained on the beautiful, blue-haired royal. They always gravitated to her.

As the days go by, he finds his cold heart yielding. It was honestly pathetic of him. He was beyond those emotions - those  _feelings_ as Mewnians called them. What do those silly beings know of feelings with their barbaric ways? Their hunger for corn? His eyes narrowed and he seemed to seethe. The bitterness in his thoughts must have permeated the air for curious blue eyes turned to look upon him with concern.   
  
And just like that, the dark clouds in his mind disappeared and an awkward, slight smile twitched to his lips. He was certain he looked like a goon for Glossaryck was doing the ridiculous things with his eyebrows as Moon returned the smile. 

And just then, a stampede of unicorns blasted from her wand. He sighed and rubbed his eyes as his Princess attempted in herding them. It would be quite comical if it did not reflect his ability as a tutor.   
  
“Princess Moon, for the love of corn, I told you to use- Moon!”

A distressed unicorn tore past Moon, the sharp horn tearing past her bicep. The young royal winced and fell to her knees, lifting her arm weakly then and finally casting the spell to make them disappear. He was by her side within a heartbeat.

“Ugh…T-Toffee?”

He knelt by her side, hands deftly tearing apart the material around her wound. He paused for a moment as her breath hitched, giving her an apologetic glance before proceeding to clean out the wound. He rested his palms over the wound, pretending not to relish in the feel of her hot-blooded skin felt on his cold, clammy hide.

“Well, Princess. It would look like your powers are finally growing as they should. A late bloomer – who would have known?”

Moon scowled over Toffee’s shoulder to Glossaryck who gave a smug smile to her before disappearing into the safety of the spell book.  The future Queen's temper was not one anyone wanted to face. She felt stern, green eyes on the top of her head.

“I told you not to get frustrated with yourself. Your emotions will cloud your magic. How many more times are you going to get injured? You’ve barely healed from-“

“Oh, shove it Toff. I am done for the day anyway.”

He sighed but allowed a smile to twitch to his lips as his hands glowed over her arm. His Princess was a temperamental one. As much as she puts up a proper façade for her parents, she had a secretive wild streak in her that would injure the delicate sensibilities of the rest of her family.  He felt the skin stitch together beneath his fingertips leaving behind smooth, milky skin.

 “Sir Johansen sent a gift this evening, my Princess. I've placed it in your chambers. You might want to go quickly before it - er, grows restless.”

He watched with what could only be described as a twitch of jealously as the young woman’s cheeks flushed. As much as she tried to appear nonchalant – a trait he suspects she had leeched from him; she could not hide the childish excitement in her eyes.

 “River? Has he returned from the hunt with his family?”

 “No, my lady. I believe he will not return till Song Day.”

He saw the light in her eyes dim, but nonetheless, she is back on her feet. She was always one that was quick to recover from missteps. It was a trait that he admired greatly in her – among other things.

 A hand rested on his chest and he lifted his eyes to meet hers. She had such striking blue eyes -- ones that often took the wind out of his lungs. Gentle, bright and warm. Without thinking, his hand reached down to tuck away a stray pale blue curl that had escaped her braid.

 “Thank you, Toffee.”

Her voice was so breathy and soft, it left his throat dry. He managed to give an indulgent nod and for a moment, he felt his heart skip several beats as she leaned forward. Her warm lips rested on his cool cheek and his blood ran warm through every inch of his being. Magic had nothing to her touch.

Before he could blink, she was gone. Already sprinting towards her room where her gift from her secret beau awaited.  

“Well, that was repulsive.”

Whatever warmth Moon had left him with dissipated. He sighed and stood up, giving a slight bow of his head as a figure emerged from the shadows of the training chambers.  
  
“Need I remind you of your place in this Kingdom, filth?”

“I assure you, my liege, you do not. I am your most humble servant.”

He was careful to keep his tone in check, but a sardonic tone was part of his nature. He could not do much. It did give him a slight satisfaction in seeing their eyes narrow. The figure remained in the dark, leering at him. Cold, calculating eyes taking him in and pausing at the chartreuse tie made of the finest Mewnian cornsilk. A gift from Moon.

She had gifted to him on the day she had inherited her wand. Silly little Princess – giving him a gift on a day that was meant for her. It was one of his most cherished items for no other reason that it complimented his eyes. At least, that is what he says to himself.

“And what right does a filthy servant have to such a fine piece of Royal attire?”

He narrowed his eyes and straightened his back, his hands neatly folded behind him in his neutral pose. 

“No right, my liege. But it is a gift from my dear Princess. I wear it to show my gratitude to her.”

 “Ho hum. So the whispers are right. Your _dear_ Princess must be quite grateful to her filthy lover.”

 He held his tongue – a skill that he had cultivated lest he loses his head on the guillotine reserved for treasonous monsters like him.

As much as he detested the Mewnian aristocracy, no amount of disdain would have him betray her. Among the blue-blooded scum, she alone shone as a beacon of hope for him. For the future of monsters. For the future of Mewni. He will not allow a silly misunderstanding tarnish his Princess’ reputation and especially not break her tender heart that she hid beneath an iron will.

 “Alas, the Princess Moon has much loftier tastes. She has no eye for filth such as myself.”

"But the filth has an eye for the Princess, no less."

He kept his jaws shut. It would do him no good to lie. His own magic, while powerful, was limited when contrasted to a Mewnian's. 

"She is a beautiful young woman."

The shadow disappeared then, seemingly disappointed with his answer. It left a strange taste in his mouth to refer to himself as filth. He thought highly of himself – almost to dangerous levels that was not acceptable for a monster. The blue-bloods knew and it frightened them. Silly Mewnians. He wondered how much longer he needed to wait before his future Queen would make things right. She was skilled, but had so much more to learn. It might take decades.

 For her – it was well worth it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have most of the next chapter written and planned out, however I would love some encouragement in the form of comments that would really help with the plot bunnies. I do hope that you have enjoyed this story! :) Let me know your thoughts thus far ♥


	2. Impulsiveness.

_Present day._

Toffee always had an inkling that fate had brought him here. Fate - a wretched mistress to the helpless. One who had been cruel enough to have him born into a dimension where he was nothing but scum. A dimension that he knew had been forsaken by the very Goddesses his mother had worshipped.

He had been taken away from his mother as a hatchling; just barely walking on two feet and talking under the guise of ‘giving him a better life’. A better purpose – the Royals’ lackey, would be more apropos. He was thrown into a torturous regime of training in swordsmanship, magic and alchemy. That was his life through most of his adolescence - losing, growing and losing again parts of his limbs and mind in the process. He had just barely kept himself alive upon hearing of his mother's sudden death.

He knew he was about to sacrifice himself for a cause that did not benefit him nor his family. He was preparing to fight a war against his own kind. He was a traitor to his own kin. And for a while, he was numb to that. He did not know any other life. What else was he to do? Besides the gruelling training, he was treated with great respect among his peers. He was rewarded handsomely for his hard work – and was given the promotion of a lifetime.

She could not have been older than twelve when he first caught sight of her. He had been a lowly apprentice then, learning the magnificent history of magic, Mewnian customs and heritage. She was on horseback, riding steadier than some of his grown comrades. And then in a pale blue blur, she was gone.

Since that day, he had caught the attention of the Queen with his gifted intellect having been the youngest to graduate top of the Royal academy. He was offered a job - more than that, it was a lifetime commitment. The future Queen’s tutor and then upon her coronation, her Royal Advisor.

He was certain then that ‘The Royal Pacifier’ would be a more fitting title.

She had been a promising student and as he would often say to those who would listen – his greatest pride. If one would look past her tendency to summon mischief, that is. She was gifted as royals were and took to magic as if it were her birthright, which it was. The only thing that held her back, was her tendency to impulsiveness which he had used to look upon with great affection.

Transposed to Star, his Moon’s beloved daughter – impulsiveness appeared to be how she functioned. There was nothing subtle to her. She took after the buffoon of her father in that aspect. She was gifted in magic as her mother was – of course, that was a given. But with a lazy adolescent, untapped potential would amount to nothing without the proper training and education. It was beyond him as to why she was sent to Earth. Most likely in the hopes to keep his attention away from precious young royal.

Of course, that didn’t stop him. He wondered who the dark-haired, male human always by her side was – perhaps holding the role he once held as the Royal Pacifier. The boy reminded him of himself in his own youth – right down to the exasperation from the Princess’ antics to the genuine concern and esteem to which he held her up to.

He silently observed Ludo and had to roll his eyes. While impulsiveness was one of Ludo’s many faults, Toffee couldn’t find another monster that had a satisfactory level of intelligence, nefariousness and vulnerability like him.

It didn’t help that he was stuck within a wand, either.

* * *

 

 

_16 years prior._

 

“Toffee, do you have a moment?”

He looked up from his book to see her head poking by the door. He indulged himself in taking in how her blue eyes glimmered in the dim candlelight of his study.

“Moon…come in.”

He cleared his throat, disguising how his voice had gone soft. It did not seem to bother the Princess, for she smiled and emerged showing that she had already changed to her nightgown, her hair loose and the only jewelry being the delicate little pearls on her earlobes. He had gifted her those on her eighteenth birthday. Even without Royal finery, she looked enchanting.

Mercifully, she had shrugged on her robes. Toffee averted his eyes right back to his book before the wandered. For all her shrewdness, being nearly half undressed before a servant didn’t seem to faze her.

It did not help the slightest that she had grown to be a stunning, young woman. A silky mane of powder blue hair, a decidedly feminine yet athletic frame and eyes that easily shifted between calm and warmth.

“What brings you here this time, milady? Has River’s letter come late?”

She gave him a pointed look before sighing and taking a seat by his armchair. He felt his body stiffen as the edge of her silk robes glided smoothly over his lap. His playfully sardonic remark left hanging between them. It was no secret that the time they spent together had dwindled since the day Moon had met River. Toffee had to remind himself at times that a Prince coming between them was inevitable as Mewnians loving their corn enough to maniacally protecting it.

It did not help either, that their relationship had grown complicated. Previously, he was nothing more than a mentor. Eventually, he was a mentor and, per her, a “best friend”. But ever since their heated encounter on the night of her eighteenth birthday, things had become understandably tense. Not even his clandestine, non-romantic encounters with outsiders beyond the castle walls would come as close as to the tension between them.

Their lessons too had lessened seeing as how Moon was now an accomplished sorceress – perhaps far surpassing his own abilities. He would think that beyond Glossaryck, there wasn’t a soul in their dimension who shared a breadth of magical knowledge as much as he himself did. She would come to a close third in that aspect. In his eyes, she was first -- she just did not realize it yet.

“I was alone with my thoughts. I never made good decisions when I’m in that state. That’s why I thought I would come to you.”

As she gave a slight smile, he lifted his head. An odd feeling bloomed in his stomach. Was it…guilt? Despicable. He was now softer than cornbread.

“Aren’t you lonely Toffee? Why don’t you take some time off to see your family again?”

He closed his book carefully, setting it firmly down on the table next to him. When they had been first formally introduced, the young Moon had taken it upon herself to treat him diplomatically rather than with the air of condescension he had grown accustomed to of Mewnians. By the time she had hit Mewberty, her stance had changed to one of tender affection.

Toffee knew the overwhelming nature of Mewberty, and knew that his own budding… regard for her was not about to be reciprocated in midst of a hormonal rampage. For that, he took his temporary leave, citing that he needed to “visit family” to the devastated Moon.

“They…They’ve moved far. It's none of your concern. Besides, your wedding is a few weeks. I have to be around to ensure that the Royal Guard is well-trained- “

He trailed off as Moon watched him silently. He sighed and rested a hand awkwardly over hers giving it a gentle squeeze.

"What's really on your mind?"

Moon's eyes locked in on their joined hands. She was silent for several beats.

“Toffee...should I call the wedding off?”

“…Moon. What is wrong?”

“I…”

At this juncture, she slipped off the armrest of his chair and went over to the window. Her hands clasped together behind her.

“It’s just…I do not think I …”

Toffee’s eyes narrowed. Had she caught River with another person? A plot to have the bothersome bastard quietly executed formulated in his mind within seconds.

“With the…tensions, in the kingdom. It just seems like a wedding…it’s just too _frivolous_.”

Thoughts of an assassination made to look like an accident dissipated. His brows raised and the strange feeling in his stomach spread up to his chest. It gripped his heart and he took in a discrete gulp.

“Moon, I think you are just having the normal jitters.”

“It’s not _jitters_ , Toffee!”

“Then what do you think it is? What mess have you gotten yourself into this time?”

“…Before you get angry with me, yes, I know it was an impulsive decision. I was curious and I wanted to know how monsters lived. I never got an opportunity to see it for myself. Mother always said it did not matter.”

He did well in disguising his disgust for Moon’s mother. It was a wonder the woman was still alive. He could have easily slipped a discrete potion into her daily corn on the cob. He realized his attention swayed and turned his eyes firmly back to his Princess.

He meant no disrespect. It's just that he knew. He knew what she had been up to. He had eyes everywhere. Nonetheless, he let his brow furrow and his eyes seethe with disappointment but not quite anger. In the decades, he had known her, she had to be the only Mewnian who could not incite anger within him.

“But Toffee, their children are starving. They’re living in…squalor. I knew they weren’t quite as prosperous as us – Oh stars, I was so...so  _ignorant_. “

He went over to her abruptly and grabbed her shoulders.

“Moon. I need you to look at me.”

She lifted her head and looked up tearfully at him. Never in his life had he felt so crushed. No, he can’t yield to her. He had a greater purpose. If only she had been born several generations earlier.

“First, I cannot believe you breached our explicit agreement that you do not wander off beyond the castle walls on your own. I know you are fully capable of taking care of yourself but the state of the lands makes it extremely reckless of you to dally off with no protection. If any monster had seen you, they would have thought it was a signal to start the war.”

“But I was in disguise!”

He hardened his gaze and narrowed his eyes. Moon fell silent.

“Two… don’t call off the wedding. If you are still holding silly fantasies about us, I recommend that you fire me.”

“Toffee. Between this pointless war and...being with you, I fully understand one of the two is impossible. I am no longer a naive little Princess.”

His throat went dry and his grip on her tightened only to loosen as her cheeks flushed. He slid his hands off her and rested one on her cheek. His digit traced over the diamond birthmark on her cheek. The silly part of him, one he had worked hard to wrap chains around and throw into the dark recesses of his mind emerged and taunted him.

_Tell her how you feel. Run away together. Elope._

“Thr-“

Lips interrupted him then. For several beats, his amber eyes widened before eventually closing. The monster in him growled in pleasure and his arms clenched possessively around her waist. She tasted as she always did – soft, alluring and irresistible. She did not yield to him and her own hands – so tiny and delicate, gripped his biceps. The fire in him grew but it was a gone in an instant as sneering, cold eyes stared at him from the shadows behind Moon.

He jerked his head away from her then, kept her firmly in his arms and maneuvered her behind him. But the shadow had disappeared. Was it a figment of his imagination? His own paranoia catching up to him.

Moon panted softly behind him and peered curiously over her shoulder. Her body melded to his and he steeled himself. How can a cold-blooded creature like him have no self-control?

“You lied…You do feel something for me.”

There was something of a smugness to her tone. His hands formed fists.

“Princess Moon. Please leave.”

“Toffee-“

“My resignation is effective immediately.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oooh. Things got a little saucy. Forgive me if there are any errors. I wrote this up pretty late into the night. I would deeply appreciate if you would share your thoughts with me ♥


	3. Denial

_14 years prior_

 

“She has your eyes.”

 Moon lifted her head up, her eyes softening as Toffee stepped into the light. His eyes were transfixed by the snoozing infant in the crib.

 “Toffee!”

 Her protective stance over the infant eased for just a touch before her hand instinctively curled around her wand. It was no surprise to her that he managed to surpass the guards. If anything, she had been awaiting a visit from him for a while now.

 “At ease, Moon. I’m not here to stir trouble.”

 “Tell that to my mother.”

 Toffee rolled his eyes and stepped out of the shadows. His saunter towards the crib was languid as always. He ignored the royal woman’s noticeable bristling and leaned a hip against the cot. In the dim candlelight, Moon noticed that he wore a… suit. One of human fashion. Not quite the Mewnian robes nor the armour he usually adorned.

 “She never really liked me, did she? Awful woman.”

 Moon would have hit him over the head for insulting the Queen Mother, but her hand had stilled - a part of her could never really hurt him even if they were sparring. His attention had shifted to the infant.

 Toffee gave a cursory glance over the crib, looking over the frilly lace trim and mountains of stuffed warnicorns and narwhals - to the precious infant snoozing peacefully. She had a head full of golden curls, just a touch darker than her father’s. Her soft cheeks had the birthmarks befitting of Mewnian Queens, with this one having hearts. Princess Star.

 “I hope to the heavens that this little one takes after you.”

 She watched warily as Toffee’s hand reached out for the infant, before he hesitated and retracted it. For a moment, the baby stirred and her eyes opened. His heart stilled for several moments as the infant gazed at him sleepily, before drifting back to blissful sleep - dreaming of sweet and terrifying things no less. For what seemed to be the first time in her life, Moon saw uncertainty in Toffee’s eyes. There was a slight sense of awe and wonder as well; his gaze towards the baby filled with the unabashed curiosity of a child.

 “Have you never seen a baby, Toffee?”

 There was a hint of amusement in her voice. Toffee blinked and straightened himself, erasing all expression on his face. Of course, he had seen babies many a times. He had just never thought much of them. They were greedy, noisy little things - very much like their adult counterparts.

 "Not one that would one day rule Mewni."

Or one that belonged to the woman he yearned for.

But there was something to this infant that set a strange feeling within him. Perhaps it was the knowledge that this infant was definitively Moon’s with her adorable nose and bright blue eyes. He had seen them from afar and was still…what way should he put it? Smitten.

 How tacky of him.

 He allowed his eyes rest on Moon. They traveled from the top of her head, where her hair was loose as he liked; the eyes that he had always been so fond of still the same intense blue wonder – but they seemed frosted over. They were no longer warm and gentle; instead, they appeared to be full of worry. She no longer had bangs – all the better to grace her subjects with the full force of her icy blue stare.

 The newly coronated Queen Moon was as well-loved as she was revered. Firm, but fair, she reigned with dignity and an unfaltering sense of grace. There was none of the previous Queen’s callousness nor bloodlust and the Queendom seemed to sigh in relief upon her coronation.

Himself included.

 He realized then that his chest had puffed slightly, involuntarily with pride. He took no credit for her achievements. All he gave was guidance – which reminded him.

 “There is a purpose to my clandestine visit.”

 “Was there?”

 She spoke so plainly, he was stunned for a beat. He was not accustomed to her new mannerism towards him; unaffected, cold and carefully weighed words that slipped effortlessly from her lips.

 While Toffee was permitted to resign from his position, he was not allowed to leave the castle. Moon’s mother had made sure of that. Since his departure from the Queen’s wings in the castle, Moon had been decidedly cold towards him. The sort of unaffected iciness she reserved only for rival family members and diplomatic guests.

 Even though he still resided and worked under the diplomacy department and assisted with training fledgling mages, it felt as though they were living dimensions apart. Toffee realized then how he had taken his previous proximity to royals for granted. He had become too accustomed to the view of the world over the shoulder of a beautiful, blue-haired woman.

 And he never realized how much he would miss her.  
  
Moon's gaze seemed to burn through his soul and he became self-aware of his own pensive silence. He returned his gaze to her, his eyes grim.

 “I come with a warning.”

 

* * *

  
_10 years prior_

 

_“Toffee… have you ever been in love?”_

_He froze and for several beats, stopped breathing. He gulped and righted himself, resuming his reading._

_“No, my Princess. I’ve heard it’s a trifling feeling.”_

_He heard a sigh and smiled to himself. He allowed his eyes to lift from his spell book to his charge._

_“Of course, you’d find it trifling Toffee.”_

_There was amusement and even a touch of warmth in her voice as she looked up from her desk to give him a knowing smirk. To anyone else, it would have looked sardonic. But he knew it was far from that._

_One would have to be dense to not notice the warmth in her icy blue eyes; absolutely daft not see how her lips twitched ever so slightly with an affectionate smile and an absolute dunce to not notice the slight dimple on her soft cheek - softness that he yearned to feel at least once more._

_It was a look that set off that familiar, but foreign feeling in his chest. A sensation that he had successfully pinpointed, but had not quite reconciled with his conscience._

_To put bluntly, he was in absolute denial._

_His Princess signs a letter with a flourish and waves it over to him – the pale blue envelope floats neatly to his lap with a name that wasn’t his printed neatly on the front. He sighs._

_Denial with good reason._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A thousand apologies for the extremely delayed update. Uni and personal life got hectic and with the hiatus, my muse was basically dead. But now, I'm back and re-energized! And is also exactly why I plan on posting at least one more installment to this story. After that wonderful movie treat, paradoxically, my ToffeeMoon needs have only blossomed. I'm sick, I know. Yes, the chapter is way too short, but I'm still oiling up the writing gears. 
> 
> As always, I hope you enjoyed. Please do tell me your thoughts! ♥


	4. Life Oath

_14 years prior_

 

“We need to get rid of her.”

 

His minion looked up at him in surprise. The lizard had grown increasingly restless – a far cry from his usual, cool and collected behaviour. He gulped hard, knowing full well that he was not going to react kindly to his response. He waited for him to finish his sip of scotch.

 

“Uh…are you sure? That could set off…that _will_ set off the war.”

 

A brow furrowed and Toffee stood from his seat. A finger rubbed at his temple, almost as if the monster’s sheer incompetence gave him a migraine.

 

“Your astuteness must be why you’re a general.”

 

The monster flushed and shifted uncomfortably in his seat. He took several careful steps backwards, putting some distance between him and Toffee’s turned back.

 

“Aren’t you… in _love_ with her?”

 

A fist slammed onto the table, cracking it in half. The general flinched and gulped. He clearly had a death wish that day. This was what happens when he allows himself to get distracted…by _her_.

 

“If it looks like I can’t trust you fools, I’ll do the job myself.”

 

* * *

 

 

_Present day_

 

Moon paced the length of her office. Her husband, uncharacteristically quiet, watched her worriedly. For once in her life, she wished River would say something. Anything, honestly. The silence was oddly deafening and she could not muster a single, straight thought.

 

A part of her knew that it would happen. She knew of her daughter’s recklessness. Most would think it was an inherited Johansen trait – but they would be _mostly_ wrong. Star reminded her so much of herself that it was a wonder something like that hadn’t happened to her.

 

The wand, though cleaved, was no less powerful. But that was not the reason why the Queen of Mewni was perplexed. Rather, it was the safety of her daughter. The wand had always been symbolic – a mere catalyst that helped the wielder control magic. If there was one thing Toffee might be ignorant of magic, it was that it manifested itself without the wand. If he truly wanted to weaken Mewnian defences, he would have to kill both herself and Star.

 

The problem was whether he knew that.

 

Toffee had always been at large, but she did not know why he chose now of all times to re-emerge. She supposed her sending Star to Earth played a pivotal role in that decision – but the lizard was far too much of a mastermind to be swayed by an easy target.

 

Star was indeed left on her own on Earth. But the ancient accords drawn up between the various dimensions ensured that humans and all of Earth’s creatures were spared from the tyranny of the many wars between Mewmans and monsters. Star was safer on Earth than she was on Mewni and more so in such a crucial point in her life where magic would consume her to her very soul. Such an outburst of energy would place Mewmans in danger.

 

“Moon…dear… please talk to me. I wish this old fool could say something to comfort you.”

 

Her eyes softened and she went over to give her husband a kiss to his forehead.

 

“I have to get Star and the High Commission. Will you hold down fort here?”

 

River pouted – it would be comical if the situation wasn’t so dire. Star’s life could be in danger and in any moment, Toffee might strike.

 

One thing was for certain – if she was to face Toffee head on, she needed to talk to Ludo.

 

* * *

 

_14 years ago_

 

His target was well within sight. Her head was bent over a map, her wand well out of her reach. He had a perfect, clear shot.

 

A digit rested evenly on the trigger – a magic infused sniper that was sure to kill the victim on impact while simultaneously draining all its magical energy. He can make good use of that energy – enhance monster weapons, put up wards against spells. All the things he can finally do to avenge his people and put a stop to the tyranny of the Butterfly family.

 

Just one squeeze, and it will be all over.

 

He took in a deep breath – fully focused on his target. The red cross sat squarely on the Queen Mother’s frowning face. For the side of his eye, Toffee noticed a blur of blue storm into the room.

 

“Mother? Where is Toffee?”

 

The sound of his name on her lips halted him – it sent shockwaves to his heart. This was no coincidence. It couldn’t be.

 

“Why do you care, dear?”

 

“ _Mother_.”

 

She looked over to her mother in annoyance – those familiar, fiery blue eyes that were always determined to see the good in everyone. Even a monster such as himself.

 

“I’ve dismissed him. He was caught rendezvousing with more monster scum in the outer rims of Mewni.”

 

“Wait…when did that happen? Why didn’t you tell me?”

 

He ignored the pain in his chest as the look of betrayal crossed Moon’s face. He did not care for her. She will not care for him. The tears welling in her eyes didn’t convince him. Nor the look of sheer anger and betrayal concentrated towards her own mother.

 

“How could you?!”

 

“Moon…”

 

“He was our link to understanding monsters! We could’ve had a peace treaty with his help!”

 

“Moon! That is enough.”

 

The Queen Mother hardly ever raised her voice, but the one instance that she did, Moon flinched. Toffee’s eyes narrowed. He held his breath, and returned in position.

 

“If you are to be a revered Queen, you will stop this silly daydream of associating ourselves with those scum. Do you under-ugh… “

 

“Mother? Mother!”

 

As the older woman’s body fell to the marble floor, staining it red, Toffee stored his crossbow and stood. Knights scrambled about the room and before they could pinpoint his location, he vanished into an opened portal; the sound of Moon’s anguished cries still rung in his ears.

* * *

 

_Present day_

 

“Tell me what’s going on and maybe I can help you.”

 

Toffee seethed as he felt Ludo’s heart soften. Weak-willed little fool. It was little wonder he took so long to steal a wand from a _child_. He needed to act immediately before the imbecile jeopardised years of careful planning.

 

_“Hello Moon.”_

 

He watched in satisfaction as the woman noticeably tensed. What a state she was in – her usually coiffed appearance was nowhere in sight. There was _dirt_ on her clothes and heavens, were those _peasant’s_ boots?

 

She heaved a deep breath and clenched her fists.

 

“Toffee. Fancy seeing you here.”

 

He felt himself – or rather, Ludo – smirk.

 

_“What brings the Queen to my humble abode?”_

Without a beat, she lifted her hand. A cold, strike went through his heart and he gasped for air. Damn her – he felt such pride. He taught her well. Toffee chuckled as Ludo’s body mended itself effortlessly.

 

_“My Moon. How much you’ve changed.”_

“What are you trying to do? If you want my head, you can have it. Just leave my daughter alone.”

 

His rapturous laughter sent chills down her spine. It was difficult to believe that Moon trusted this beast with all her heart only a few years ago. A naïve version of her expected nothing less from cold-blooded creatures - but not from Toffee.

 

_“I’m not after you, dear. We did have an…interesting history.”_

Moon ignored the furious flush to her cheeks. He had no pull over her – she had fallen out of love with him years ago - the very moment that she held her mother’s cold, lifeless body in her arms. The moment he broke her heart irreparably.

 

_“But Star - insufferable as she is – has the last piece of the Mewnian wand. How is it that it has not destroyed itself completely?”_

He groaned as another blow hit his chest. Ludo wasn’t a reptile which meant that he had limited time before the host body disintegrated completely. He still needed an energy source to transform and his eyes flashed with glee at the thought of absorbing all of the young royal’s raw power. For now, the appetiser before him will do.

 

He muttered a spell under his breath as he readied to extract from the hotspot of magical mana before him – but a flash of light blinded him. There she stood, menacingly beautiful, in her Butterfly form. To this day, it still frightened and captivated him.

 

If there was a time he knew he would not come out of a battle alive, it would be now. Nonetheless, he wore his best smirk and lifted his glowing palm.

 

"I loved you."

 

His smirk dropped. Curse this foul woman. Did she think he was that feeble? 

 

"I have held you with nothing but the highest regard."

 

He fully expected for there to be tears in her eyes - but there wasn't a drop. Her eyes glowed and for the first time, he felt fear. 

 

"Why did you kill her?"

 

 _"I had to."_  


The softness in his own voice surprised him, but he was sincere for the first time in a long while. He felt a tinge of satisfaction as she faltered. 

 

"You bastard."

 

_"Now Moon, what would your mother think of such language?"_

"Does it matter? You killed her."

 

Moon’s hand shook as she delivered the final blow. Every fiber of her being strained as the energy drained from her. The purple veins in her arms grew, but she paid it no mind. For now, she had only one goal - to protect her kingdom, her family, her beloved daughter.

 

There was an explosion and she heard a cry from her daughter. Marco restrained her and only released her when the blinding light subsided. Her form returned to normalcy and she collapsed to her knees. In the distance, she heard her daughter rush to her side.

 

_Oh thank Mewni she’s alright._

She felt her daughter’s arms envelope around her and she hugged her little girl tight. There was some exclamations of admiration, worry and well, mostly pride of having a “badass” mother. She managed to smile weakly and just held her daughter tighter.

 

It was over – for now.

 

She gave a tired nod of acknowledgement to a concerned Marco that hovered awkwardly behind her – the boy would make for a good partner. But there was still time yet for that.

 

“Mom?”

 

“Yes dear?”

 

“I’m…I’m sorry about ruining the wand.”

 

Moon sighed and stroked her daughter’s hair.  

 

“Star, the wand is immaterial. It will always come back to you. The real power, is _within_ you. Toffee thought he could destroy that – but that’s simply impossible.”

 

While her daughter and her knight squabbled over one thing or another – Moon tuned her senses to the puddle of dark goo. His life source flickered like a dying candle. It was a brutal end that she had delivered him – but it was a necessary one.

 

“Come along now children. We have much to do.”

 

Her job as Queen of Mewni was never done.

~

 

He never thought she had it in her. He had well and truly underestimated her - her power, her emotions – her _feelings_ for him. And he paid the dear price for that.

 

For just a moment, he caught a view of a future they could have had together. Serving as her royal advisor – her humble servant. He would have been happy, he thought. Nothing in the world had given him happiness save for her.

 

But as the light left Toffee’s eyes, the view vanished. 

 

* * *

 

 

_18 years prior_

 

_“You must be Professor Toffee. I’ve been most anxious to meet you.”_

_Her voice was warm as the hand that shook his. He realized after a few beats too late that she had been waiting for a response from him and he, in uncharacteristic fashion, mumbled a greeting and delivered a shaky bow._

_“An honour to serve you, your Highness.”_

_She was as breathtakingly beautiful, brave and intelligent as they say. What a difference proximity made. The royal portraits don’t do her any justice. They never quite got the azure tinges in her eyes right nor the silky sheen in her powder blue hair. They never captured how light her gaze was, steadfast but bold. He could not think of a more noble queen._

_As she spoke, he found it increasingly difficult to pay attention to her words. It was her eyes that struck him the most. There was this youthful mirth in them that he had seen only in innocent children. For a moment, scorn rose within him and his throat clenched almost as if to control a murderous urge._

_Royal obliviousness. Typical. She would be as blood-thirsty as the rest of them._

_But then she is leading him into her quarters – by hand. Almost as if she was ushering in an old friend into the intimate corners of her home. There was none of the malice – none of the condescension that he had become so accustomed to from her sort._

_“I hope corn tea is fine with you. It’s not quite my personal favourite – surprising, I know; but with some honey it can be stomached.”_

_It took a pair of blue eyes peering back at him worriedly – as though she had spoken out of turn that made him open his snout to force out a composed, but too cold response. There was a slight tinge of hurt in her eyes from the supposed apathy on his part._

_Curse his militant decorum._

_“Tea would be lovely, Princess.”_

_“Call me Moon, please. The time we would be spending together is sure to be insurmountable. It would be quite exhausting to continue with proprieties. Unless of course it makes you uncomfortable…?”_

_Toffee was not sure what to make of this. She was giving him agency? A choice? That was unheard of. His stunned silence again caused blue brows to furrow in apprehension that he quickly responded in kind. Here he was, taken aback by a little princess. What has become of him?_

_“Then I insist that you call me Toffee...Moon.”_

_He almost expected the entire guard to come bursting through the door – come to drag him away for an execution for having referred to a royal member – the future Queen no less; in too familiar terms. But nothing other than the giddiest of smiles he had come upon in his lifetime happened._

_She gave him a weak smile and gestured to the seat next to hers. A fine, porcelain tea set had been laid out with various baked goods and other corn-flavoured titbits. Such proximity and food was a luxury to monster servants - even unusually high-rankings ones such as himself._

_“I’m so excited to learn magic from you! Mother says it’s not very Princess-like to show excitement, but I simply can’t help it! Glossaryck is an absolute pain. He speaks so cryptically it’s impossible to learn anything! I know I’m simply too impatient, but I’m just bursting with curiosity...”_

_He hid a smile behind a sip of tea and set the cup down carefully. Indeed, she was nearly bursting from the seams. He himself had shown such enthusiasm as a novice to magic. While he had no inherent powers of his own, he had a deep understanding of magic that confounded the royals. Never mind that they had been lucky enough to be born with it. He considered it a blessing that they were unaware of their true potential._

_He could sense an immense, untapped power within Moon. A power that was sure to intimidate his kind – but it was something he decided would not be a problem. The last Mewnian royal to explore the unexplored bounds of magic had been punished and doomed into a crystal after all. Their ignorance was their own failing._

_Her hands – both hands, surrounded his. She looked up at him with an expression that undid whatever remnants of the crumbling fortress around his heart. Such a look of trust, hope and willingness to do good – it reminded him of his younger self._

_A voice hissed “weak” in the back of his mind, but he was quick to quieten it._

_“Will you help me be the very best princess I can be?”_

_There it was, that look in her eyes. Then and there, he made his decision. Instinct spoke to him - a new destiny lit ahead. Her most humble servant. With an emboldened voice that even shocked him, he pledged himself to her._

_“With my life, I promise to make you the finest Queen Mewni has ever seen.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please note that the only reason that I changed the canon occurrences (where Star was the one to get rid of Toffee) in my story were purely for continuity’s sake. I had the impression the writers were heading towards a showdown between Moon and Toffee based off an incorrect assumption (or daydream, really) that they had an intimate past. Of course, the canon won’t fit with the plot I already had so the ending you see here is the result of that. Hope you enjoyed it nonetheless and so sorry for the (extremely) delayed update! Please do leave me your thoughts! ♥


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